2 Botanical Reminiscences. 
ing Indians for tlieir camping place. Altliougli the water 
nearly overflowed the trunks, we were determined to camp 
here. Certainly the comfortable fires were denied to us, and 
myriads of mosquitos, the distant noise and crashing of the 
falling’ trees, undermined by the water, the heavy fall of 
a tropical rain, drove away sleep, and made the night one of 
the most uncomfortable we had yet passed. 
_ The dense darkness concealed from us the rising of the 
river, and we were not a little surprised when one of the 
Indians, who left nis hammock before daybreak, warned us 
that the water had begun to overflow our camp. We of 
course jumped into the boats with the utmost haste. Having 
reached the bed of the Barima again, we proceeded on our 
voyage. Numberless flocks of the pretty swallows, Hirundo 
fasoiata, Latt,, were resting on the projecting dry branches of 
sunken trees, with great noise they rose, as we neared them, 
for a few minutes, to return to their favorite places as soon as 
we had passed them. Hundreds of mocking birds, Oassicus 
persicus, Baud., and hcemorrhus, Baud., had built their purse 
formed nests on the overhanging branches of the bushes, near 
the surface of the water, not expecting the heavy flood. The 
rising waters had already immersed a good many of the nests, 
others nearly so ; the old birds were fluttering with woful cries, 
fearing for their immersed nests, containing their eggs or 
young ones, while others, unconcerned at the danger, the 
waters not having reached their nests, were hatching or feeding 
their young ones, joyfully chirping, or bringing the material 
for new nests, not paying the slightest attention to the 
lamentations of their unfortunate mates. The life in this 
small colony was the image of the life in larger towns ; like 
these had also the mocking birds, their nests peaceable, side 
by side, without taking the slightest notice of the others 
affliction. 
In the course of this rainy and monotonous day we met 
only with a few of the large kingfishers, Ahedo torquata, Lin. 
We passed the mouth of the Hiver Kaituma, which enters 
the Barima from the south. 
To-day, again, we should have been obliged to continue our 
journey through the night under incessant rain, which came 
down in torrents, had it not been for our roAvers, who strained 
every nerve to reach the Warrau settlement of Honobo 
before sundown. The sun was yet on the horizon when the 
air conveyed to us the dull noise of Indian drums, and the 
